The Image
by SaturnNights
Summary: Honesty, trust and loyalty. Symbols of a true friendship and maybe something more. For Alix and Nathanael, they'll learn just how much they mean, as well as what they mean to each other.
1. Disappear

**Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well. It's great to be back with another Miraculous story. Now, if you've read my stories before, you know I ship Nathanael and Juleka and I still do. But over time this pairing has grown on me and with the recent Reverser episode, there does seem to be a bit of chemistry, so I figured, why not try it? With all that said, let's start.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

The following days after the whole Zombizou incident had been weird, to say the least.

While as a whole it seemed to be pretty normal, the class was a bit on the awkward side.

Everything was fine, they carried on their usual conversations and hung out, same as always.

But, every now and then, they would look away, remembering how they had acted, choosing not to bring it up, hoping the memory would fade like so many incidents before.

I mean, what could you say, after being brainwashed into kissing anyone in sight?

However, Alix, after going over what happened in her mind, had started to realize something.

She had noticed his behavior, she had noticed how he had not been any more nervous than usual and she had noticed how he wasn't with them when they had escaped.

Nathanael hadn't been effected.

She didn't know why, but it honestly interested her, thinking about how he was with them one second and then the next he was gone, disappearing into thin air.

During their classes, she just watched him the whole time, easily since her teachers had never really kept her attention while she was there, aside from Ms. Bustier.

He didn't seem to show any signs or signals, he just rested or sketched the whole time he was in class.

When the final bell rang and everyone headed out, she managed to catch up with him.

"Hey, Nathanael." Alix said.

Nathanael turned around, in surprise.

"Oh, hey Alix, what's up?" He asked.

"Not much, I was just wondering, if you weren't busy, would you want to hang out?" Alix asked.

Nathanael's surprised look grew when she had asked.

He did spend time at the louvre a lot, which meant he saw her more than anyone else and talked with her a little, but she never really asked him to hang out before.

"S-sure." He stuttered.

"Cool." Alix said.

 _"That was easy." Alix thought._

"Try to keep up." Alix said, before skating away.

Nathanael smiled in amusement, running after her as fast as he could.

When they got there, Alix lead Nathanael around the place, settling on a section where they could talk in private.

"There's usually no one up here around this time, so we can do whatever we want." Alix said, emphasizing the focus on her skates.

As Alix skated around the room, Nathanael pulled out his sketch book, looking at the works around him for some inspiration.

While Alix skated, she hadn't taken her eyes off of him, wondering how to bring up the subject matter.

 _"Hey, Nath, I was wondering, how is it you always vanish into thin air around us?" Alix mockingly thought._

"Vanish?" Nathanael asked.

Alix stopped in her tracks and looked directly at him.

"I take it I said all of that out loud." Alix said.

Nathanael nodded yes and offered for her to sit next to him, to which she obliged.

"So, what's this about vanishing into thin air?" Nathanael asked.

"Nothing, really, it's just… I've just started noticing that whenever we're all together and something happens you always seem to disappear out of nowhere." Alix tells him.

"Like what happened with Ms. Bustier, when she got turned into Zombizou, we were all in that classroom, but as soon as we ran out to escape, you were nowhere to be seen." Alix brought up.

"I mean, I managed to escape anyway, I guess we just got split up." Nathanael said.

"You could've followed us." Alix said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, I guess I wasn't thinking, it's just always instinct to go off on my own." Nathanael told her.

"That's not the only thing." Alix said.

"What do you mean?" Nathanael asked.

"Well… the rest of us always seem to do things as a group, like a team and… it always feels like you're not around for anything or any events in our lives." Alix told him.

"I was there for a few, I was there for your race with Kim, when we filmed Horrificator and… Marinette's birthday." Nathanael told her, as he tried to find more examples.

"Yeah, sorry, I guess it just feels like you're barely there, it always feels like the rest of us are always together and you're nowhere to be seen." Alix said.

"I thought maybe, it'd be nice if… you were around more." Alix said, slightly struggling with her words.

Nathanael smiled a bit at this, thankful that Alix had actually cared.

"If that's what you want, I don't mind… on one condition of course." Nathanael said.

"What would that be?" Alix asked.

"I heard you're really great when it comes to street art." Nathanael said.

"I try." Alix said, with a smirk.

"Well, I was wondering if I could see some of your work?" Nathanael asked.

"Sure thing, but I've got one condition for you too." Alix said.

"What's that?" Nathanael asked.

"Well, Juleka moved next to Rose in science class and Mylene's been wanting to sit near Ivan, I figured it might get boring sitting alone, especially sitting behind Chloe, so I was wondering if you'd trade seats with Mylene?" Alix asked him.

Nathanael hesitated for a moment, liking the lack of attention from sitting in the back, but agreed in the end.

"Alright." Nathanael said.

"Great, now I can see what you're sketching all the time… and of course, I'll be able to keep you awake." Alix teased him.

Nathanael blushed in embarrassment, dreading what the pink haired girl would do if he did manage to doze off.

After a little while, Nathanael decided to head home, waving goodbye to Alix as the building was closing.

 _"More interaction… maybe she's right." Nathanael thought._

* * *

 **Okay, first chapter is done. Hope it was cool so far and I'm excited to see where it'll go from here.**

 **Yeah, I had the inspiration after seeing the Zombizou episode, if you didn't notice it before, they're all in the classroom and then as soon as they run out, Nathanael is nowhere to be seen, but everyone else is there. So the only thing to ask is, what happened? I think this'll be a fun project and I'm hoping you'll think so too. I hope you all have an awesome day and take care.**


	2. Just Getting Started

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Nathanael had managed to convince his teachers to switch seats with Mylene.

Ms. Bustier had been easy to convince, fully supporting the idea.

Ms. Mendeleiev however, wasn't so sold on the idea.

But Nathanael wanted to keep true to his word and told her it was to help him focus and pay attention, as well as for Alix to help him study.

She was still hesitant, but agreed, stating that he had better improve his overall grade.

As their first class started, Nathanael took his seat, looking over at Ivan and Mylene.

Ivan gave him a thumbs up, as if to say thank you.

Nathanael, in return, smiled, happy that he had done them a favor.

 _"Maybe this'll work out." Nathanael thought._

"Why exactly is tomato boy sitting behind me?" Chloe asked, in her stuck up tone.

 _"I stand corrected." Nathanael thought._

Catching what Chloe had said when she entered the room, Alix immediately went to her seat beside Nathanael.

"I asked if he could sit next to me." Alix told her, slightly glaring at her.

Chloe just scoffed, waving the two of them off.

"I didn't realize you two losers were going out." Chloe said.

Nathanael slightly cringed in embarrassment, looking down slightly to avoid eye contact with anyone and to hide his blush.

Alix was more direct on the situation.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're not dating, we just switched seats so Ivan and Mylene could sit closer together." Alix explained, leaving out the other details.

Everyone glanced at the couple in the back for a second before turning back to the scene between Chloe and Alix.

"Cute story, almost believable." Chloe said, with a smirk.

As Chloe sat, Alix was gritting her teeth, about to teach Chloe a lesson.

Nathanael placed his hand on her shoulder and looked at her with empathy.

Alix sat down, Nathanael whispering into her ear.

"Don't let her get to you too much, especially after what happened to us last time." Nathanael whispered, reminding her of the akumas

Alix sighed, knowing he was right.

A few minutes after class began, Alix looked over to see the usual scene.

Alya, sitting alone waiting for Marinette to show up.

 _"How is that girl always late?" Alix wondered._

As Alix thought this, she remained unaware of the figure in red, swinging by the school.

A couple minutes pass and of course, Marinette tries to sneak in and fails.

Alix chuckled a bit at this, noticing Nathanael not reacting quite the same as everyone else.

Nathanael simply kept taking notes, but she had noticed how he had directed more of his attention towards it when Marinette had arrived.

Alix would glance at him every couple of minutes as the class continued, Nathanael not even noticing.

* * *

 **Later.**

As the school day ended, Nathanael met up with Alix, planning to show her the art room.

"So, basically I can create whatever I want?" Alix asked.

"Yeah, just keep it clean, we're still on school grounds." Nathanael told her.

"I make no promises." Alix said, with a smirk.

Nathanael awkwardly smiled, not sure whether she was joking or not.

As they entered the room, Alix saw that they had already set up the wall for her work, and had set up the spray paint and mask.

Juleka had been strumming on her guitar while Rose was wearing headphones, trying to come up with lyrics to a new song.

"Hey, Alix!" Rose shouted.

Alix and Nathanael winced a bit from her voice.

Alix made a motion for her to take off her headphones, which Rose understood.

"So, what're you doing here?" Juleka asked.

"I knew it!" Rose chimed in.

"I knew you were lying to Chloe, Nathanael invited you here for a date, right?" Rose asked.

"Sorry, Rose, I'm only here to show Nathanael my art." Alix told her.

"Your art?" Juleka asked.

"Yeah, here, I'll start with something simple." Alix said.

Alix put on the mask and grabbed two cans of spray paint.

As they watched the orange and black mix take shape, Nathanael recognized what she was doing immediately.

As she finished, she looked at the three of them, who were looking at it approvingly.

"Awesome." Juleka said.

A huge version of the logo on Nathanael's shirt, no splatter or drops, perfectly aligned.

"Thanks." Nathanael said, with a small smile.

Alix smiled back, putting the mask back on.

"Don't thank me just yet, I'm just getting started." Alix said.


	3. Seeing More

**I just want to say thanks to the supporters so far, you're so awesome and I hope you like the chapter.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Walking out of the school, Rose was still bobbing along to the music from her headphones, trying to come up with a new song.

Juleka lifted one of the sides up to talk to her.

"Maybe once we start rehearsing, you'll find some inspiration then." Juleka said.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Rose said, removing her headphones.

"Speaking of which, I heard your band rocked at the music festival the other day." Alix said.

"Yeah, it was our first concert and it was awesome!" Rose exclaimed.

"I wish I could've been there, but we had to attend the Nightingale concert." Alix said.

"Oh, you poor thing." Rose teased her.

"Hey, celebrities are cool and all, but I'd rather hear you guys play any day." Alix said.

"Well, our next concert is gonna be even better." Rose said.

"I can't wait." Alix said.

"Nathanael, you should come too, it'll be a lot of fun." Rose said.

"S-sure… maybe." Nathanael stuttered.

Alix's eyes met his, signaling to him that this was one of those moments she was talking about.

Nathanael took in a deep breath as quietly as he could.

"That sounds great, I'll definitely be there." Nathanael told her.

"Cool, well, I guess we'll see you two later." Juleka said.

"Yeah, see ya." Nathanael said, awkwardly.

As they parted ways, Rose looked back at the duo.

"What is it, Rose?" Juleka asked.

"Nothing, probably just my imagination." Rose said.

"Alright." Juleka said.

Rose simply smiled and walked off with Juleka, still thinking about the two of them.

 _"He seemed almost different after she looked at him." Rose thought._

* * *

 **The next morning.**

As Alix skated to school the next morning, she was thinking about what had happened yesterday.

 _"No one's ever actually been excited about my spray painting before." Alix thought._

 _"The look on his face, it was like… he knew something about me I didn't even know." Alix thought._

Alix's thoughts were interrupted when she collided with the redhead himself, ending up off of her feet, Nathanael supporting her.

"Thanks for the save, Nath." Alix said.

"No problem." Nathanael said.

"Still, do you ever think about slowing down?" Nathanael jokingly asked.

"Nope." Alix answered, with a smirk.

"Of course." Nathanael thought, as he rolled his eyes.

"Well isn't that sweet, hey tomato head, no public displays of affection around here." Chloe mocked them.

Nathanael and Alix quickly realized how they had looked and separated, regaining their composure.

While Nathanael was a bit embarrassed, Alix glared at Chloe, growling in annoyance.

"Alix, please… calm down." Nathanael said.

"But she… ." Alix started to protest.

"Is basically acting like she always does." Nathanael said.

"So why should she get away with it?" Alix questioned.

"She shouldn't, but you need to know when to hold back, you shouldn't have to lash out just because she doesn't know how to act properly around people." Nathanael told her, looking at her with sincerity and concern.

 _"What does he mean I shouldn't have to?" Alix wondered._

"I just think you're better than that and that she isn't worth the trouble." Nathanael added.

Alix sighed, knowing he was right.

 _"Better… maybe he does know something I don't." Alix thought._

"Come on, let's get to class." Nathanael said, with a smile.

Alix nodded and followed him in.

After class had begun, Alix quizzed him on the material.

Nathanael wasn't exactly one to focus on much aside from his art, but his promise to Alix took priority and he had spent all night studying.

"Not bad, a few more sessions and you just might go from failing to nearly failing." Alix teased.

"Wow, so funny I forgot to laugh." Nathanael said.

"Whatever." Alix said, with a chuckle.

As Alix looked at Nathanael's notepad, she looked at his sketchbook beside it, noticing a drawing of his akumatized form, fighting alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir.

 _"He actually looks pretty cool, not as cool as Timebreaker, but still pretty cool." Alix thought._

While he was preoccupied, Alix slipped the sketchbook in front of her, flipping through the pages of his latest comic.

Alix had never really taken the time to look more closely at his work, but at the moment, she'd wished she had.

Nathanael had managed to capture the action, the movements, the expressions, all down to the last detail.

To her, it was the closest thing to watching an actual akuma encounter.

As she flipped to the next page, her sense of elation slowly started to fade, as the next image would differ from the others.

It was a sketch of Ladybug, striking a heroic pose.

Nothing that strange, until Alix saw the small hearts drawn towards the bottom.

Alix closed the sketchbook and slowly slipped it back towards Nathanael without him noticing.

 _"Why did I do that?" Alix questioned._

As Alix looked at Nathanael, she was both amused and curious as to when he had fallen for Paris' superhero.


	4. Hiding Less

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

As Nathanael entered the Louvre, he headed to where he and Alix had hung out the other day.

"Hey." She said, skating around the room.

"Hey." He replied.

"So, why'd you want to meet up?" Nathanael asked.

"I just wanted to ask you something." Alix said.

"So, you couldn't just ask at school?" Nathanael asked, chuckling a little as he said it.

"I thought it would be better if I asked you in private." Alix told him.

"Is it serious?" Nathanael asked, looking right at her.

"No… well… maybe." Alix said.

"Well, whatever it is, you can tell me." Nathanael said, reassuringly.

"Okay, just, promise me you won't freak out or something." Alix said.

"I promise." Nathanael said.

"Well, I kind of looked in your sketchbook when you weren't looking and… ." Alix started.

"You did what?!" Nathanael reacted, almost jumping out of his seat.

"You promised you wouldn't freak out." Alix pointed out.

Nathanael calmed himself as best as he could, breathing in, his expression changed to his usual demeanor and he sat back down.

"Sorry, it's just… I don't mind people seeing my art, but some things I prefer to keep to myself." Nathanael told her.

"I understand, I'm sorry about that." Alix apologized.

"It's alright." Nathanael said.

"Well… there's one more thing I should mention, it's what I wanted to ask you about." Alix said.

"What is it?" Nathanael asked.

"Well, I saw your new comic and it was amazing, I never really noticed it before but you're really talented." Alix told him, hoping that her compliments would make things a bit easier.

"T-thanks." Nathanael stuttered, a blush appearing on his face.

"But I noticed one sketch in particular." Alix said, nervously.

Nathanael took a moment to think about it, trying to figure out what sketch she could be talking about.

That's when he remembered.

"How long have you liked Ladybug?" Alix blurted out.

Nathanael looked down, his eyes hidden behind his hair.

"Since the day she saved me, I suppose." Nathanael answered, honestly.

Alix nodded, receiving an answer and wanting nothing more… as far as she knew at least.

"Alright then." Alix said.

Nathanael looked up at her, surprised by her reaction.

Alix just smiled as she looked over her shoulder at him before skating across the floor towards him.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, besides, I'm pretty sure every guy in Paris has a thing for her." Alix told him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks for understanding." Nathanael said.

"No problem." Alix said, a slight tone of sadness in her voice that neither one of them noticed.

After a few more minutes of Alix skating around and Nathanael sketching, Alix got an idea.

"Hey, Nathanael, remember what I said about getting out more and being part of the group?" Alix asked him, taking off her skates as she did so.

"Yeah, why?" Nathanael asked.

"Just follow me." Alix said.

* * *

 **Later.**

Nathanael had no idea where Alix was taking him, but part of him didn't seem to care.

He didn't know why, but he had a sort of confidence in her judgement, even if she was sometimes a bit headstrong.

"Here we are." Alix announced.

Nathanael looked up, to see a building glowing from the bright neon signs around it.

"Nino's the DJ here tonight." Alix said.

"I originally told him I couldn't come, but I figured this might be good practice for you." Alix said.

"So, putting me in a crowded room, full of people… great plan." Nathanael said, sarcastically.

Alix rolled her eyes and held his arm, pulling him in.

"Come on, everyone else is already in there, besides, I wanna see some of those dance moves." Alix said.

"What dance moves?" Nathanael asked.

"We all saw the Nightingale music video, you could totally dance." Alix said.

"That was all choreographed already, besides, you were in it too." Nathanael pointed out.

"Alright, so we'll look like fools together, now come on!" Alix said, excitedly, dragging him in.

 _"This is gonna be a long day." Nathanael thought._

As they entered the place, everyone was already out on the dance floor, save for their classmates who had just arrived.

"Hey, you made it!" Alya said.

"Yeah, it took a little convincing with this one, but I wore him down." Alix told them.

"Yeah, right." Nathanael mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Alix asked.

"Nothing." Nathanael said, smirking as soon as she wasn't looking.

"Alright then, time to hit the dance floor!" Alya exclaimed.

Alya headed to the front, so she could see Nino better.

Ivan and Mylene kept talking in the corner, since Ivan wasn't really a fan.

Kim dared Markov to see who could dance the robot better.

Juleka and Rose blended in with the crowd while Marinette was left standing awkwardly, wanting to ask Adrien to dance.

"Alright, let's see those moves." Alix said, leading him to the dance floor.

Nathanael thought quickly, looking around to see how everyone was dancing.

As they got there Nathanael started to copy them.

He was a little rusty but it was enough to play it off.

Alya went through the crowd, going back to talk to Marinette.

"Don't worry girl, I've got it all covered." Alya said.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

Receiving no answer, Alya pushed her towards Adrien until she bumped into him.

As Alya ran back into the crowd, Marinette accidentally shouted out her question as the song ended, gaining everyone's attention.

"Would you like to dance with me?!" Marinette asked him.

"Sure." Adrien asked.

As they got to the dance floor, Nina started to the next song, which was of course, a slow song.

Alix, Mylene, Juleka and Rose all gave Alya, a thumbs up.

"What's that about?" Nathanael asked.

"It was a whole situation, I'll tell you about it some other time." Alix said.

Nathanael nodded in understanding.

"So… ." Alix said.

"So… ." Nathanael said.

"Want to sit this song out?" Nathanael asked.

"Yes, please." Alix said, in relief.


	5. Talks

**Okay, a new chapter and newfound inspiration. This was actually two chapters I had decided to combine into one since they were a little short and I want to focus on the relationship side of things as well as the friendship from here onward. Hope you all enjoy.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

"So, I take it we won't be coming back?" Alix asked, as they walked out of the club.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind, just promise me a little heads up next time." Nathanael said.

"Sure." Alix said.

"By the way, Alix." Nathanael started.

Alix turned her attention to him, as she looked up.

"Thanks." Nathanael said.

Alix playfully punched his shoulder and smiled.

"No problem." Alix told him.

Reaching the louvre mere minutes before closing, Alix and Nathanael sat outside, Alix waiting for her father to finish work and head home.

"Hey, Nathanael." Alix said.

"Yeah?" Nathanael said.

"Do you think we should've danced?" Alix asked.

"What do you mean, we did, didn't we?" Nathanael replied.

"Yeah, but, I meant during that slow song, everyone else was out there, it was like we were… ." Alix trailed off.

"The odd ones out." Nathanael finished her train of thought.

"Yeah." Alix said.

"You didn't seem to enthusiastic about it at the time." Nathanael told her.

"I know, I was just thinking about it on the way back, how I took you there without you even knowing where we were going and going as far as to make you dance, I guess I kind of felt weird about that and to top it all off, I ended up distancing us towards the end." Alix confessed to him.

Nathanael put his arm around her, comforting her.

"You had good intentions in mind." Nathanael said, reassuringly.

"I get that you want me to be there more, but that doesn't change the fact that we don't have to do everything with the group." Nathanael told her.

"Would you honestly have liked it out there if we had stayed?" Nathanael asked.

 _"Maybe a little." Alix thought._

"No, it might've been kind of awkward." Alix partially told the truth.

"Yeah, so I'm more than happy to spend more time with all of you, but I'm still gonna be doing what I do best." Nathanael told her.

"What would that be?" Alix asked.

"Avoid standing out and just be me." Nathanael told her.

Alix smiled, moving the strands of hair out of the way of his eye, to look at him head on.

"Fine, but you're stuck with me." Alix said, with a smirk.

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Nathanael countered.

"Yes." Alix said.

* * *

 **Later on.**

The days onward from then had been interesting to say the least.

New akumatized villains as expected, but this time they were accompanied by the arrival of a new hero.

After that, Alix and Nathanael had gotten in on the action once more, helping Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat Reverser.

Nathanael and Marc had reconciled and things seemed to go back to normal for the moment.

As Nathanael and Alix walked home, Alix decided to bring up the whole ordeal.

"So, I guess you and Marc will be making that comic now, right?" Alix asked.

"Yeah, looking back, he's definitely an impressive writer, I bet we'd make a great team." Nathanael told her.

"That's great." Alix said, an unnoticeable hint of sadness in her voice.

 _"I bet they'll do great working together, still… I guess he'll be spending more time on that than with… ." Alix thought, trailing off as Nathanael spoke up._

"Alix?" Nathanael said.

"Sorry, what was that?" Alix asked, waking from her thought.

"I was just saying thanks for having my back, not a lot of people would do that, so it's nice to know I have someone I can trust." Nathanael told her.

"Don't mention it, buddy." Alix said, patting him on the back.

Alix was hesitant, but she decided to bring up one more question on her mind.

"Speaking of trust, can I ask you about Marinette?" Alix asked.

"What about her?" Nathanael asked.

"Well, I know you seem cool with her now, but I noticed that you kind of react a certain way every once in awhile." Alix told him the truth.

Nathanael sighed, fully knowing what she was talking about.

"Look, it's alright, we're still friends and she's a great person, no doubt about that, it's just… ." Nathanael stopped for a moment, thinking about how he wanted to put it into words.

"I don't remember much about the Evillustrator incident." Nathanael said.

"But, the one thing that changed that day, my birthday, was that, when I woke up that morning, I still had feelings for Marinette." Nathanael said.

Alix had remembered that day, the image of him tripping and dropping his sketchbook only for Chloe to take it and tell everyone what he had drawn, replaying in her mind.

"The next thing I knew, I felt like I had woken up from a nightmare, but one thing changed." Nathanael said.

"Those feelings for her were gone, replaced by hurt." Nathanael said.

"I couldn't understand why, I had no idea what happened, all I knew was that I didn't feel the same and that I just couldn't look at her the same way." Nathanael told her.

"I'm sorry, Nath." Alix said.

"Don't be, it's not your fault, besides, I obviously got over it and I'm still friends with her, like I said, so, there's no reason to focus on it." Nathanael said.

"I guess." Alix said.

A few seconds of awkward silence and Alix decides to lighten things up.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about that from me, no one is else is gonna tease you, that's my job from now on and anyone who says otherwise has to deal with me." Alix told him, in a joking tone, but still fully sincere.

"Oh wow, that's so thoughtful of you." Nathanael said, sarcastically.

"I know, I'm such a thoughtful person." Alix said, playing along.

"Alright, so, are we headed back to the louvre?" Nathanael asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if we could stop by your place." Alix said.


	6. Eclectic

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Alix had followed Nathanael to his home after informing her parents on where she would be.

Alix had a pretty good idea of what his room would look like and to no surprise for her at all, she was basically spot on with her guess.

The room was filled with various artworks as well as supplies for different forms of art.

Sketch papers were spread out all over the floor, his desk and bed completely cluttered with different items he used to create his comics.

"Make yourself at home." Nathanael said, before heading downstairs.

 _"My room is a lot messier, I'm sure I will." Alix thought._

Alix took a seat on the corner of his bed not covered and started to look through his pile of sketches while he was downstairs.

Most of them were sketches of Ladybug in various panels, some of them surrounded by blank speech boxes, an obvious indication of missing dialogue.

 _"These do look great though, I bet Marc is gonna go crazy for these." Alix thought._

As Alix flipped through each page, she stopped when she noticed a few drawings in particular.

They were sketches of their friends.

Alix heard Nathanael's footsteps as he walked up the stairs and entered the room.

"Hey." Nathanael said, handing a can of soda to her.

"Thanks." Alix said, before opening it and taking a sip.

"So, what're these for?" Alix asked, gesturing towards the pictures of their friends.

"Each one of us gave me a different inspiration, so I started sketching everyone and when I really thought about it, different thoughts came to mind, about each of us, lending to a new style every time." Nathanael explained.

"What do you mean?" Alix asked.

Nathanael sat down next to her and picked up one of the pictures.

"When I think of Juleka, I think of modesty." Nathanael started, picking up another picture.

"Rose is bubbly, Max is sophisticated, Kim is easygoing, Ivan is strong, Mylene is affable, Nino is cool, Alya is assertive, Adrien is unconventional and Marinette is kindhearted." Nathanael listed off, as he showed her each individual sketch of them.

Alix was impressed by his creativity, Nathanael having captured their personalities almost perfectly with only paper and pen ink.

However, Alix noticed something he had missed almost immediately.

"What about me?" Alix asked.

"You… are definitely the most complicated." Nathanael answered her, honestly.

Alix raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, wondering what he had meant.

Nathanael just smirked, walking over to a shelf and pulling out a sheet of paper which he handed to her.

Alix looked at it, recognizing herself.

It was like looking in a mirror, her attitude reflected in her eyes and her personality on full display.

"If I had to use any word to describe you, it would be… eclectic." Nathanael told her.

Alix looked at him, obviously wanting to hear more to which Nathanael happily obliged.

"You always manage to surprise me." Nathanael said.

"One minute you can be rollerblading across Paris on your own, the next one you could be helping out our friends with their problems and then again, you could be focusing on a nobody like me." Nathanael said.

 _"You're not a nobody." Alix thought._

"I can never figure you out and part of me admires that." Nathanael told her.

Alix smiled, feeling different than she had before.

No one had ever spoken to her that way before as well as compliment her like that.

Most people had said good things about her skating and on occasion her style.

But no one had ever focused on just who she was.

Maybe she was a part of that, but the same way she was trying to get Nathanael to break out of his shell a bit, Nathanael had effected her as well, even if it was only subtle changes.

 _"Eclectic… so this is how he looks at me." Alix thought, looking at the sketch of her again._

"Hey, Nathanael." Alix said.

"Yes?" Nathanael answered.

"Do you mind if I keep it?" Alix asked.

"Not at all, I'm just glad that you like it." Nathanael said, awkwardly smiling.

Alix had a similar expression, folding the paper up and slipping it into her pocket.

As Alix looked back at the class pictures, she saw one more she had managed to miss.

Picking it up, she was greeted to the familiar sight of Ladybug herself.

Ladybug had been drawn in a dynamic pose, the surrounding details basically making her glisten.

There was obviously a lot more time, love and attention put into this sketch.

Whether she knew it or not, Alix had a bittersweet feeling in the back of her mind.

Placing the picture down on the bed, she reached for her can of soda, her wrist immediately moving from a reflex, knocking the soda over and spilling it onto the picture of Ladybug.

"Oh, no!" Alix shouted.

Nathanael reacted quickly, moving his other sketches out of the way first and then picking up the can.

"I am so sorry." Alix apologized.

"It's alright, it was just an accident." Nathanael said.

Nathanael picked up the drenched piece of paper, covered in soda, the drawing was no longer recognizable.

"It's my fault, I'm really sorry, you must've worked really hard on that." Alix apologized again.

"It's fine, I can always make another one." Nathanael said.

Nathanael threw the once great sketch into the trash, Alix sighing as he did.

A little while later, Alix got a call saying it was time to head home.

Saying her goodbyes, she thanked him again for the sketch of her and set out for her home.

As Alix walked home and after she returned and went to bed, one thing had continuously bothered her that night.

 _"It was just an accident… right?" Alix thought._


	7. Marinette's Date

**Okay, the chapter before got a bit heavy, even though it was cool to write. Let's do something slightly more lighthearted for this one.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Alix didn't hear from Nathanael, the next morning.

She instantly assumed he was hard at work, creating a new picture of Ladybug to replace the old one.

She seemed to be losing focus and as a result she was mindlessly skating around, eventually reaching the Place des Vosges.

Skating around in a giant circle for what seemed to be at least an hour, she was shaken out of her trance when her name was called out.

"Alix!" She heard someone call.

Alix lost her balance, falling onto the ground.

Getting back onto her feet and rubbing her now sore shoulder, she looked over to see Marinette waving to her, while Alya, Rose, Juleka and Mylene were standing beside her.

Alix skated over, being met with anxious smiles.

"Let me guess, another Adrien based plan?" Alix guessed.

"Close, but more like an actual date." Alya said.

"Wait, what?" Alix asked.

"Adrien asked her out after they danced last night, oh, it's so romantic!" Rose exclaimed.

"I told you, he just asked me to hang out with him, it's not an actual date." Marinette tried to convince them.

"Sure, but the point is, the two of them are gonna be going out and Marinette has to decide where to go, so she needs all the help she can get." Alya explained.

"Are you in?" Mylene asked.

"Yeah, just no waiting around with flower petals this time, you got to be part of the action when that akuma attacked." Alix said.

"Yes, because that was such a highlight of that day." Marinette said, sarcastically.

"So, what's the plan?" Alix asked.

"Simple, we set up a rendezvous between the two of them at the Champ de Mars." Alya said.

"I bring a picnic basket full of stuff from our bakery." Marinette said.

"The two of us just happen to be there in case something goes wrong, which knowing us it probably will." Juleka said.

"If Adrien notices us, we can just say we're on our own date." Rose said, blushing.

"That leaves us as lookout." Mylene said.

 _"Oh great, I get to wait around again." Alix thought._

"Lookout for what?" Alix asked.

"Anything!" Rose shouted.

Juleka patted Rose on the head, signaling for her to calm down.

"Alright." Alix said.

"Perfect." Marinette said.

* * *

 **Later.**

With the date set up and Adrien arriving, Marinette was actually able to keep her composure, aside from tripping on a few words here and there.

"Well, looks like the plan is going well so far." Alya said, over their call.

"Yeah, ever since that fashion show, it just seems like they've been closer." Mylene said.

"Hey, maybe if it all goes well, we can all go and take our dates on Vacation." Alya suggested.

"Dates?" Alix asked.

"Yeah." Alya said.

"Nino and I, Ivan and Mylene, Marinette and Adrien, Juleka and Rose, You and Nathanael." Alya listed.

"Nathanael?" Alix questioned.

"Well, yeah, we saw you two dancing the other night, you two looked like you were getting along pretty well." Juleka teased her.

"Unfortunately for you, Nathanael and I aren't dating, we just kind of started hanging out more." Alix said.

"He traded seats with Mylene to sit next to you." Rose brought up.

"Because I asked him to." Alix said.

"Oh, so you wanted him to be near you." Juleka continued teasing.

"No… well, yes but only because I didn't want to be sitting behind Chloe by myself." Alix said.

"That is a fair point, trust me." Mylene said.

"Still, why him in particular, you could've picked anyone?" Alya asked.

"It was part of this agreement we made, I wanted him to stop his disappearing act, so I agreed to join him in the art room and show him my street art and he agreed to hang out with us more and to sit next to me." Alix explained.

"Disappearing act?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, have you ever noticed how he just disappears out of nowhere?" Alix asked.

Everyone thought about it, trying to remember carefully.

"Remember what happened with Zombizou, how we were all in the classroom and then as soon as we ran out, he was gone?" Alix asked.

As soon as they thought about it, they knew she was right, he had just vanished without a trace.

"That's weird." Juleka said.

 _"So cool." Juleka thought._

"So basically, I noticed and asked him about it, I told him how I felt about it, one thing led to another and now we're… friends." Alix said.

"You hesitated a bit there." Rose said.

"I know." Alix said.

"Still, I'm glad that you care about him that much to help him out of his shell." Rose said.

"Yeah." Alix said.

After time had passed and Adrien had to leave, the girls congratulated Marinette on getting invited to another date and parted ways.

Alix looked at her phone, seeing a message pop up a second later.

 _"Nathanael." Alix thought._

Alix opened it and read the message.

 _"Sorry, forgot to charge my phone yesterday, battery went out and I had to have it off for the day." She read._

Alix texted back that it was cool and that she would see him tomorrow.

Alix walked home, a smile of relief on her face.

As she walked through the streets of Paris, a few thoughts of him crossed her mind.

She may not have known it, but her friends were on to something.


	8. The Headstrong and The Sympathetic

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Alix had caught up with Nathanael before school had started, telling him about what had happened the day before and informing him that she had told the others about their agreement.

"You don't mind… them knowing I mean?" Alix asked.

"No, it's alright, it's not that big of a deal." Nathanael said.

"Cool." Alix said.

"Still, I'm honestly surprised it's taken them this long to go out." Nathanael said.

"I know right?" Alix said.

"It feels like it's been forever." Alix added on.

"Yeah, so I take it we'll be hanging out with them more, if what you said is any indication?" Nathanael questioned.

"Maybe, I'm still not sure." Alix said.

"Wow, Ms. Kubdel, I thought the whole goal of this was to be more social." Nathanael teased her, with a smug grin on his face.

"First of all, never call me Ms. Kubdel." Alix said, half jokingly, half threateningly.

"Second of all, it's a little more complicated than it looks." Alix said.

"What do you mean?" Nathanael asked.

"Well, I tried to convince them otherwise but… they seem to think we're… sort of a… couple." Alix said, obviously struggling to tell him.

Nathanael stopped and just stared blankly for a good minute before speaking up.

"What gave them that idea?" Nathanael asked.

"They saw how close we were, dancing the other day I mean." Alix told him.

"Oh." Nathanael replied, trying to figure out how he really felt about the situation.

"Look, I'm sorry I dragged you into it, I didn't think they would jump to conclusions like that." Alix apologized.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." Nathanael said.

"Also, have you met our class?" Nathanael joked.

"True." Alix said, trying not to laugh.

"Don't worry about it, it doesn't really change anything." Nathanael said.

"I guess you're right, plus if anyone else makes a comment, they'll have to answer to me." Alix said.

"How terrifying." Nathanael joked.

"When did you get all sarcastic?" Alix asked.

"Since I started hanging out with you." Nathanael pointed out.

"Oh, right." Alix said.

"Come on, let's get inside." Nathanael said.

Alix followed him as they headed to the classroom, Nathanael stopping in the doorway.

"What's wrong?" Alix asked.

Nathanael just smiled.

"Nothing." Nathanael said, simply.

Nathanael walked in and approached Marinette at her desk.

"Hey, Nathanael." Marinette said.

"Hey, heard about yesterday, congratulations on the date." Nathanael said.

"It wasn't a date." Marinette said.

"Yes it was." The rest of the class said, in unison.

Marinette glanced around the class as they said that, before resting her head on her desk in defeat, thankful that Adrien wasn't there at the moment to hear this.

"Speaking of dating, I heard that you two are a thing now." Kim said, pointing at Alix and Nathanael.

"Contrary to popular belief, we are not." Nathanael said.

"Surprise, surprise, the loser can't get Ladybug, so he settles for Alix instead." Chloe insulted.

Alix gritted her teeth, while Nathanael prepared for the worst case scenario to go down.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Chloe?" Marinette said.

"It's merely an observation." Chloe said.

"According to my calculations, the likelihood of Nathanael and Alix being involved romantically is approximately ninety percent." Max told them.

"Well, numbers don't lie, the question is, do the two of you?" Chloe questioned.

"Like Nathanael said, we're not together and even if we were, Nathanael wouldn't do it just to settle for someone." Alix said, glaring at Chloe.

"Well, someone sounds jealous." Chloe said.

"That's it!" Alix shouted.

Nathanael quickly started to hold Alix back, Alix flailing her arms and legs about, trying to go after Chloe.

"Look at that, the little one is throwing a tantrum." Chloe teased further.

Nathanael looked at Chloe, unamused and annoyed.

Nathanael carried Alix out of the classroom.

Nathanael set her down, standing near the door just in case.

"Come on, you heard what she said about us in there, she needs to be taught a lesson." Alix pleaded with him.

"You're right." Nathanael said.

"I mean it isn't… what?" Alix said, in surprise.

"You're right, but you shouldn't be the one to do it, you're just fueling the fire and giving her what she wants." Nathanael said.

"I know, it just bothers me that she causes so much pain and never gets what she deserves." Alix told him.

Nathanael sighed as he looked at her, seeing the frustration in her expression.

 _"I know what she means." Nathanael thought._

"Come on." Nathanael said.

"What?" Alix asked.

"We're taking a day off." Nathanael said.

Alix looked at him, surprised by what he said.

"I don't like seeing you upset, so maybe a day off will do us some good." Nathanael suggested.

"I didn't know you had it in you." Alix said.

"I don't, but honestly, I don't want to deal with that right now, either." Nathanael said.

"Alright then, lead the way." Alix said, with a smirk.

"With pleasure." Nathanael said.

Nathanael grabbed his art bag and walked out with Alix.

 _"I owe him one, he's willing to ditch just so I can feel better." Alix thought._

 _"Maybe I had him all wrong, he's better with people than I thought he was." Alix thought._

* * *

 **Meanwhile, back in the classroom.**

"They aren't coming back, are they?" Alya asked.

"Not likely." Max said.

"They probably just wanted some alone time." Kim joked.

Some rolled their eyes at his joke while others held back their grins.

"Serves them right." Chloe said.

 _"They shouldn't have had to leave." Marinette thought._

After a couple minutes of banter about the two of them, Adrien walked into the classroom.

"Sorry I'm late." Adrien said.

"What did I miss?" Adrien asked.


	9. A Day Off

**Okay, after taking some time to do a bit of thinking, it's time to come back with a brand new chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

After dropping off their stuff at Nathanael's place, Alix suggested that they head for Tuileries garden.

Nathanael was surprised by her suggestion, never seeing her as the type to take a stroll.

But then again, they both seemed to be full of surprises lately and it was only a short walk away.

"What made you want to go there?" Nathanael asked.

"I don't get out that often, even with everything so close by, except when I hang out with all of you." Alix said.

"The only other exceptions were those times I helped Marinette." Alix said.

"Well, I'm glad I could help you get out then." Nathanael said.

After reaching the garden, the two of them sat down by the fountain, looking at all the people around them, either passing by or taking in the scenery.

Tourists, friends, couples, it didn't matter why you were there, something about the garden just seemed so serene and welcoming.

Alix took notice of the smile on Nathanael's face.

He obviously was admiring the beauty and he'd wished he had brought his sketchbook with him to capture it all down.

However, he had chosen not to, because he had a different mindset for that day.

His focus would be set on Alix and making sure she would be alright.

It was partially out of concern and partially out of genuine care that he had decided to make this decision.

 _"She speaks her mind and doesn't hold back, you have to admire that." Nathanael thought, as he looked over at Alix._

 _"I just hope it doesn't get her into trouble one day." Nathanael thought._

Alix turned meeting Nathanael's gaze, which strangely didn't waver.

His eyes were still set on her, that smile still on his face.

"Nath?" Alix said.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alix asked.

Nathanael quickly realized what he was doing.

"Sorry about that, i was just daydreaming." Nathanael said, turning away and rubbing his eyes.

"Oh." Alix said, unknowingly disappointed by his answer.

The situation might have ended up awkward from there, but thankfully help had arrived from an unlikely source.

The people around them started lining up over to another area of the garden.

"What's going on?" Alix asked, someone hurrying over.

"Andre is here!" He exclaimed.

"The ice cream maker?" Nathanael asked.

"Yeah, but you'd better hurry, with all these people around, he might run out of ice cream before you can even get any." The guy said, before running off again.

Nathanael stood up and headed towards the line.

"You coming?" Nathanael asked.

"Actually, I think I'll stay back here, that line looks way too long." Alix said.

"Alright." Nathanael said.

As Nathanael joined the line and waited, Alix wandered around, mentally examining the area.

 _"This place is perfect, I should've brought my skates." Alix thought._

Alix sighed, writing it off as a mistake on her part and just continued to look around in case she ever came back.

 _"I wonder if they allow skating here." Alix thought._

Alix looked around, seeing the line had grown remarkably short since she had last looked over at him.

 _"How'd he get to the front so fast?" Alix thought._

Alix had met Andre before but she had never seen his work in action.

As the couple in front of Nathanael left, Andre greeted Nathanael, happily.

"A new face, how exciting!" Andre exclaimed.

"Yeah, I heard your ice cream is the best in all of Paris." Nathanael said.

"Maybe, but the most magical, now that is certain, but then again, that's for you to decide." Andre said.

Andre looked at him noticing something that even Nathanael didn't quite yet.

"So much love in your heart for someone special, this requires a triple scoop!" Andre said.

 _"Love… someone special?" Nathanael wondered, confusingly._

"A scoop of lime, a scoop of cotton candy to match the pink shade of her hair and finally, a scoop of blueberry to match her eyes." Andre told him.

Andre handed him the ice cream, to which Nathanael thanked him.

"Good luck, my friend." Andre said, as Nathanael walked away.

 _"I wonder what he meant by that." Nathanael thought._

Nathanael met up with Alix a little down the way, sitting under the shade of a tree.

"Weird combination." Alix said.

"Yeah, it looks good though." Nathanael said.

Nathanael handed her one of the little spoons, offering to share.

Alix accepted and took a bite before noticing the ice cream.

 _"Green, pink and blue." Alix thought._

Alix's eyes widened, knowing immediately that it had matched her attire, hair and eyes.

 _"There's no way." Alix thought._

Alix looked over at Nathanael, wondering if he had noticed.

Alix sighed in relief, recognizing the expression on his face.

No change, no awkwardness, or at least no more than usual.

 _"He probably doesn't realize." Alix thought._

 _"Still… Andre has never been wrong." Alix thought._

As time went on and the day passed by, Alix had the thought in the back of her mind as she talked with Nathanael, deciding not to bring it up.

As day turned into evening, the relaxation had gotten the better of them, as the two slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Later.**

Alix twitched a little, her eyes slowly opening.

Looking in front of her, she noticed a shape, her vision blurred from just waking up.

Rubbing her eyes, she was able to mostly see around her, still a bit drowsy to really react to what she was about to see.

Laying there next to her, arms wrapped around her as hers were wrapped around him, was Nathanael.

Normally, Alix would have squirmed away, but right now, she didn't seem to care, resting her head against him, in order to go back to sleep.

"Excuse me." Someone said.

Alix's sprung up at the sound of someone's voice, finding Officer Roger standing there.

"Alright kids, it's passed closing time, you know the rules." Roger told them.

Alix blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I guess we just dozed off, I'll wake him up and we'll go." Alix told him.

Roger nodded and walked towards the exit, waiting for them.

Alix nudged Nathanael, waking him up.

"I guess we decided to sleep in." Alix said.

It took Nathanael a second, but looking around them and noticing the night sky, he had a similar reaction as Alix.

Alix chuckled and helped him stand up.

"Come on, let's get going." Alix said.

As they left the garden, a thought crossed Alix's mind.

 _"How am I gonna explain this to my family?" Alix thought._

Nathanael seemed to notice the worry in her expression.

"Don't worry, I'll explain what happened and I'm the one who took you out so I'll take the blame if I have to." Nathanael told her.

Alix was honestly shocked.

True it was his idea, but he had only done it to prevent her from getting into trouble.

 _"He's willing to do all of this for my sake… maybe Andre is right again." Alix thought._

"Hey, Nathanael." Alix said, softly.

"Yeah?" Nathanael said.

Alix quickly hugged him for like a split second and went back to walking beside him, a blush on her face that put her last one to shame.


	10. Jealousy

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Nathanael had been true to his word and explained the situation to Mr. Kubdel.

Needless to say, the man wasn't thrilled with what had happened.

However, he was understanding enough and simply called his parents.

As for Alix, she ended up being grounded for staying out late and had to help out at the Louvre for one week.

All things considered, things worked out for them.

After Nathanael left, Alix headed for bed, surprisingly tired despite falling asleep at the garden earlier.

She was out like a light within seconds, but her mind was still set on Nathanael.

* * *

 **The next morning.**

As Alix walked into the classroom, she was immediately met with questions from Rose.

"How did the date go?" Rose asked.

"Where did you two end up going?" Rose asked.

"Was it romantic?" Rose asked.

Juleka put her arm around Rose, trying to settle her down and give Alix time to answer, since she was just as curious about the two of them herself.

As Alix took her seat, everyone was looking at her, waiting for the answers.

Alix rolled her eyes and decided to tell them what happened.

"It wasn't a date, Nathanael just decided to take me out, since we had the situation with Chloe." Alix told them.

"You all saw how that went." Alix said.

Everyone knew what she meant and they honestly couldn't blame her, after all if they got the chance to get away from her for a day, they would gladly take it.

"Okay, but where did Nathanael take you?" Mylene asked.

"I suggested going to Tuileries garden, since I hadn't really ever been before." Alix said.

"We basically just stayed there the whole day and just hung out." Alix said.

"That's cool, I actually heard around that Andre the ice cream maker was there yesterday." Kim said.

"Really?" Ivan asked.

"Did you two go to see him?" Mylene asked.

"No, Nathanael did, I decided to sit that one out." Alix said.

"Why?" The rest of the class all asked, in unison.

"There was a really long line, besides, Nathanael ended up sharing his ice cream, so it wasn't that big of a deal." Alix told them.

"What's going on?" Nathanael asked.

Everyone's attention turned to the classroom's doorway, seeing the redhead who finally showed up.

"Nothing, we were just asking Alix about what happened yesterday." Alya said.

"Oh." Nathanael said.

Nathanael walked over and took a seat.

"Sorry about what happened, I didn't mean to get you into trouble." Nathanael apologized.

"It's cool." Alix said, nervously.

Alix had been purposely avoiding mentioning that little detail of their time together.

"Trouble?" Kim asked.

"I got grounded for leaving and staying out too late with him." Alix said, quickly.

"We fell asleep at the garden." Alix added.

"By the time we woke up, it was already dark out." Alix said.

"Well that must have been embarrassing." Alya said.

"Trust me, it was." Alix said.

After a couple more minutes, Ms. Bustier entered the classroom and began her lecture.

The class went about how it usually did, Nathanael sketching away but also taking notes.

Alix would look over at him from time to time, looking to see what he was working on.

While it hadn't been finished yet, Nathanael was already hard at work on another sketch of Ladybug.

Alix sighed as she saw what the sketch had looked like, noticing he had improved on his last drawing of her and had made her look even more heroic.

"Are you okay?" Nathanael whispered.

"Yeah, just bored." Alix whispered back.

Nathanael didn't seem to notice the expression on her face, simply believing her lie and going back to his sketching.

However, that little detail didn't go unnoticed by Marinette.

* * *

 **After school.**

Marinette approached Alix, who was putting on her skates.

"Hey, Alix, can I talk to you for a minute?" Marinette asked.

"Sure, but make it quick, I have to help out at the Louvre as part of my grounding." Alix told her.

"Well… it's about you and Nathanael." Marinette said.

"For the last time, it wasn't a date." Alix told her.

"No, that's not it, I just noticed something during class today." Marinette said.

Alix looked at her, curiously.

"What was it?" Alix asked.

"I noticed you looked different when you were looking over at Nathanael." Marinette said.

"Is something going on?" Marinette asked.

Alix closed her eyes and lowered her head, as she stood up and began to slowly roll forward.

"No, it's just… ." Alix said, trailing off.

"Just what?" Marinette asked.

Alix came to a stop, now standing next to Marinette, facing the opposite direction of her.

"Forget it, it's nothing." Alix said.

"Alix, when I had trouble with the whole Adrien situation, I counted on all of you to help and be there for me." Marinette said.

"You know you can count on us too, right?" Marinette asked her.

Alix pondered on whether or not to tell her, finally settling on just getting it over with.

 _"What've I got to lose?" Alix thought._

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone, not one single person." Alix said.

"I promise." Marinette said.

"It's about Ladybug." Alix said.

Marinette was taken aback for a moment.

 _"Ladybug, what does this have to do with me?" Marinette wondered._

"What about her?" Marinette asked.

"Well… it's just that, Nathanael really admires her and the way he sketches her, it makes me feel kind of… ." Alix told her, trailing off once more as she tried to find the right words.

"Jealous?" Marinette asked.

"I guess." Alix said.

"So, you do like him." Marinette said.

"Maybe, I honestly don't know how to feel about him." Alix told her the truth.

"But whenever he draws her or talks about her, I just start to feel like I don't matter as much." Alix continued on.

"That's crazy, I mean sure, he may like her, but Nathanael definitely cares about you." Marinette said.

"Why else would he take you out to the garden and miss school just to make you feel better." Marinette reminded her.

"Yeah, I know, it's part of the reason I feel like this." Alix said.

"I just wish sometimes, that he would look at me the same way he looks at her." Alix said, her tone growing slightly sadder.

"Don't worry, he will." Marinette said.


	11. Mistakes

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Alix was down to her last day of having to work at the Louvre, to which Nathanael decided to help her.

In some ways, Alix was surprised he had offered to help her out and take some of the workload.

But in other ways, she wasn't surprised at all and had come to expect Nathanael's courteous behavior.

As Alix and Nathanael lifted the last crate into the Egyptian exhibit, they were met with a bit of a crowd in the way of them.

"What's going on?" Nathanael asked.

"This happens every once in awhile." Alix said.

"Ever since the whole Pharaoh incident, people have been coming here more often to try and find any more clues about Ladybug." Alix told him.

"They think they can figure out her true identity." Alix said.

Nathanael looked at all the people there.

They were all crowded together, studying every detail on each tapestry and artifact they could find.

In turn, Nathanael studied their expressions, most of them all having the same motive or intention.

"I hope they don't." Nathanael said.

Nathanael set down the crate and began to walk off.

"Hey, wait." Alix called out to him.

Alix caught up with him and noticed that he didn't exactly seem pleased.

"Aren't you at least curious about it?" Alix asked him.

"Of course I am." Nathanael said.

"But it isn't for us to decide or figure out." Nathanael said.

"Imagine if they actually figure it out, imagine what would happen to that person." Nathanael said.

"They'd basically have no privacy whatsoever." Nathanael said.

"They'd be constantly surrounded by people and hounded by the press, that's no way to live." Nathanael said.

"Not to mention if Hawkmoth found out, he'd basically have a severe advantage over them and could even hurt the people that they love and are closest to them." Nathanael explained.

Alix had taken his words to heart, realizing the potential consequences.

"I would ask to have them escorted out, but they aren't bothering anyone or causing any trouble." Alix said.

"It's alright." Nathanael said, with a sigh.

Alix hadn't seen Nathanael ever be this serious about an issue, but then again, he did have more admiration for Ladybug than anyone else she knew.

Alix decided to finally bring up what had been on her mind for awhile.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Alix asked him.

"Well, yeah, of course I do." Nathanael said.

He was clearly trying to play the comment off and act somewhat indifferent, like Ladybug was more of an acquaintance and less of a romantic interest.

But, of course, it was obvious to everyone how he really felt about her and Alix wasn't buying it.

"Nathanael." Alix said.

Her tone demanded his attention and for him to be completely honest with her.

"I admire her, not just for what she does, but for who she is." Nathanael told her.

"She's… for a lack of a better term, Miraculous." Nathanael said, with a level of emotion in his voice unheard by Alix.

"I see." Alix said, with clear sadness in her voice.

"Alix?" Nathanael asked.

"I think we're finished with work today." Alix said.

Alix walked back towards the Louvre, her head slightly hung low.

"See you later." Alix said, not even looking back at him.

Nathanael just stood there, not sure of what to say.

* * *

 **Later.**

Nathanael had been sitting at the edge of his bed, thinking about Alix.

 _"She seemed so upset, but why?" Nathanael wondered._

Nathanael sighed, looking at the picture he had drawn of her.

 _"It's obviously my fault, I messed up somehow, just like I always do." Nathanael thought._

In some ways, he was correct, oblivious, but correct.

 _"I could apologize, but it would be pointless unless I understand why." Nathanael thought._

 _"She deserves a genuine apology." Nathanael thought._

Nathanael picked up the phone and dialed up someone who could hopefully help him.

"Juleka, it's me." Nathanael said.

"I need some advice, do you think we could meet up tomorrow?" Nathanael asked.

If anyone could help him, it would definitely be the other person as socially awkward as he is.

"Sure, but I hope you don't mind if Rose tags along." Juleka said.

"Not at all." Nathanael said, in relief.


	12. Working It Out

**Hey everyone. I hope you've all been enjoying so far. For this chapter I'm introducing Luka into the story, but I'm not sure whether Luka and Nathanael have actually met before, so basically here they'll meet formally for the first time. With that said, let's get back to the story.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Nathanael carefully made his way onto the houseboat, curious as to where Juleka and Rose were.

Looking at his watch, he noticed that he was on time.

 _"I wonder what's holding them up." Nathanael thought._

"Hey." Someone called out.

Nathanael turned around, only to see someone was already home.

"Can I help you?" The guy asked.

"Sorry, I was just waiting for Juleka and Rose." Nathanael told him.

The guy stepped closer towards him, gripping the guitar in his hands.

"Let me guess… you're Nathanael?" He asked.

"Yeah." Nathanael said, nervously.

The guy just chuckled and strummed his guitar, surprising Nathanael with how intense the sound was.

"Sorry about that." He apologized.

"It's alright." Nathanael said, still disoriented from the noise.

After Nathanael regained his balance, he saw the guy put aside his guitar and hold out his hand for him to shake.

"I'm Luka." He introduced himself.

"Oh, it's nice to finally meet you." Nathanael said, as he shook his hand.

"Likewise." Luka said.

"Juleka mentioned you a few times." Luka said.

Nathanael shuddered at the thought.

 _"What did she say?" Nathanael wondered._

"A word of advice, stop hesitating and really think about what's most important to you, because you never know what could happen." Luka told him.

"Thank you?" Nathanael said, in confusion.

Nathanael wasn't sure why he would say that, but it wasn't exactly bad advice, so he just moved on.

Thankfully, Juleka and Rose arrived a minute later, alleviating some of Nathanael's awkwardness.

"I take it from your expression that he played his guitar when you met him." Juleka said, recognizing that distant look in his eyes.

"Yeah." Nathanael said.

Nathanael followed Juleka and Rose to her room, taking a seat on the bed.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Juleka asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about Alix." Nathanael said.

The two girls looked at each other, Rose with an ecstatic expression on her face.

"I knew it, you're having trouble telling Alix how you really feel, so you wanted to talk to us so we could give you some advice!" Rose exclaimed, as she jumped onto the bed and stood tall, striking an excited pose.

"Not quite." Nathanael said.

Rose's mood shifted from overjoyed to disappointed within a second, as soon as she heard those words.

Rose slumped back onto the bed and Juleka patted her on the back to comfort her.

"What's going on with Alix?" Juleka asked.

"I'm not really sure, it's just… lately she seems more distant, like I'm doing something to push her away." Nathanael explained.

Juleka and Rose looked at him, both of them having a good idea of what was going on.

"Okay, well… when was the last time you two were together?" Rose asked.

"Yesterday, I was helping her with work at the Louvre." Nathanael told them.

"Did she seem distant then?" Juleka asked.

"Not at first, we were just talking like we always do, she seemed like her usual self." Nathanael answered.

"What did you say before she started acting different?" Juleka asked.

"Not much, we were just talking about the Egyptian exhibit and how everyone was trying to find out all that they could about Ladybug." Nathanael told them.

Juleka and Rose looked at him intently, listening to him with the same intensity.

Nathanael took this as a sign to keep talking.

"After that, she asked me how much I cared about Ladybug and… I told her the truth." Nathanael said.

"The truth?" Rose asked.

"About how I admire Ladybug, how I admire who her for who she is and what she does for all of us." Nathanael told them.

"After that… she said we were done for the day and that she would see me later." Nathanael told them.

"Well, at least she still wants to see you." Rose said, trying to look on the brighter side of things.

"Did she act like this before?" Juleka asked.

"Not like this." Nathanael said.

Juleka sighed and decided to ask a question that might give them results.

"Did you ever talk about Ladybug around her before?" Juleka asked.

"Yeah, there was this sketch I made of Ladybug, Alix accidentally spilled her drink on it, but that's about it." Nathanael told them.

"What does that have to do with what happened?" Nathanael asked.

Juleka didn't answer his question, opting for a different approach.

"Alright, we all know you're not very confrontational." Juleka said.

Rose and Nathanael nodded in agreement.

"But, this is something you need to talk to Alix about." Juleka said.

"Just be direct and ask her about why she feels this way." Juleka told him.

"But what if she doesn't want to talk about it?" Nathanael asked.

"Don't worry, we'll talk to her first and see what's really going on." Rose told him.

"We help out and then you move in and talk to her." Juleka said.

"Alright then, thanks you two." Nathanael said.

"No problem." Juleka said.

* * *

 **Later.**

After Nathanael made it home, he tried texting Alix, only to find that she was busy.

It stressed him out a bit, unsure on whether or not she was actually busy or still just mad at him.

Still, he couldn't let it get to him and decided to distract himself by sketching his next comic book.

Hours had passed by, pages and pages falling to the floor as Nathanael kept on sketching.

Half the time he didn't even know what he was drawing, it all passed by in a blur.

Finally, his exhaustion caught up with him, causing him to fall asleep, resting his head against his desk.

* * *

 **That night.**

Nathanael suddenly woke up, the sound of someone's voice breaking him out of his sleep.

"What?" Nathanael whispered.

Nathanael looked out the window, seeing it was already dark out.

Nathanael picked up his phone, to see if he had gotten a response from Alix.

Looking at the screen, Nathanael sighed.

There was nothing.

"You really think I would want to talk to you?" Someone questioned him.

Nathanael turned around, shocked by the sudden appearance.

Standing there, in his bedroom, was Alix... or so he thought.


	13. Confronting The Nightmare

**Thank you for the kind reviews, it's been great writing this and all of you make it even better.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

Nathanael looked at her, both intimidated and confused by her presence.

"Alix, what are you doing here?" Nathanael asked, while trying to keep calm.

Alix slowly approached him, her appearance growing more terrifying, as her face was highlighted by a greenish glow.

 _"Where is that coming from?" Nathanael questioned._

"I'm here to tell you that you're nothing!" Alix shouted.

Alix lunged at him and Nathanael's reflexes kicked in, allowing him to dodge her.

"Alix, I'm sorry about whatever I did, but whatever's going on, we can talk about it." Nathanael tried to reason with her.

"I'm done talking to a loser like you!" Alix growled, right before lunging at him again.

Nathanael stepped out of the way and booked it out of his home.

As he ran out into the streets of Paris, he was greeted to a shocking sight to behold.

All around him, the citizens of Paris were running away in terror, creatures of all kinds chasing after them, tormenting them.

"Nathanael!" Alix screamed his name.

 _"What is going on?!" Nathanael's mind screamed._

That's when he noticed the voice… the melody of singing in the distance.

Looking up, he saw a strange individual, floating above them, creating these horrifying creatures which were invading their city.

 _"An akuma!" Nathanael immediately thought._

As he avoided colliding with the people running for their lives, he peaces it together fairly quickly.

 _"It all makes sense, he's bringing their worst nightmares to life." Nathanael figured it out._

 _"Which means… losing her and having her hate me is mine." Nathanael thought._

Feelings of regret and fear started to set in, as he sat down on the ground to think.

However, his time like this was cut short, as the nightmare Alix had found him.

"There you are!" She shouted.

Nathanael saw that she was now wearing rollerblades and beginning to approach him as she built up speed.

Nathanael took off, running as fast as he could as this nightmare version of Alix chased after him.

"You can't run forever, you coward!" She shouted, from a distance.

 _"She's right about that." Nathanael thought._

 _"I have to hold out until Ladybug and Chat Noir turn everything back to normal." Nathanael thought._

Nathanael kept up his pace, evading her as best as he could, while trying to think about the real Alix.

 _"I may have upset her, but the real Alix would never react this way, I know that." Nathanael thought._

As Nathanael reached the Parc de Belleville, he quickly ran to the grass, while the nightmare Alix had to remain skating on the more solid ground.

 _"She may have more speed, but I have more maneuverability." Nathanael thought._

As Nathanael continuously ran, his legs began to grow sore as the night wore on.

 _"Note to self, exercise more." Nathanael thought, as he tried to catch his breath._

It seemed that luck would not be on his side, as a moment later, he tripped.

Nathanael stumbled across the patches of grass, landing on his face.

Nathanael attempted to stand up, his exhaustion hindering him from fully doing so.

The nightmare version of Alix caught up with him, standing before him with a scowl on her face.

"I told you that you couldn't run forever." She said, with a smirk.

"It's time to make you disappear, for good this time." She said.

Nathanael winced for a moment, but looked relaxed a minute later.

 _"It'll be alright." He thought._

"Don't worry, they all didn't notice before, so I'm sure no one will care now." She insulted him.

"You're wrong." He said, avoiding looking her in the eye.

"What?" She asked.

"You're wrong about that." Nathanael said.

"Maybe a lot of people didn't notice, but at least one person did." Nathanael exclaimed.

Nathanael stood up and glared right back at her.

"She actually cares about me and I care about her." Nathanael said.

"I don't care about anything you say, because you're nothing like her, all you are is a cheap copy!" Nathanael shouted.

The nightmare Alix growled and began to lunge at him once more, Nathanael preparing for the worst.

To his luck, the nightmare Alix was soon enveloped by a familiar looking swarm of ladybugs.

She had disappeared, just in time.

Nathanael breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the ordeal was over.

 _"Just one thing left to do." Nathanael thought._

Nathanael began to break into a run, only to find himself worn out.

 _"On second thought, walking isn't so bad." Nathanael thought._

* * *

 **Meanwhile.**

Alix had remained in her room, managing to avoid the whole situation entirely.

Every few minutes, her thoughts would drift to focusing on Nathanael, hoping that he was alright.

 _"Please be safe." Alix thought._

Alix looked outside, seeing people returning to their homes.

 _"Why am I worried?" Alix questioned._

 _"He's fine, besides, Ladybug always saves the day." Alix thought._

At that thought, she sighed, ashamed that she had begun to feel that way in the first place.

 _"Just sleep it off, it'll be fine in the morning." She tried to convince herself._

Resting her head against her pillow, she closed her eyes, ready to get some rest and put some stress behind her.

That's when she heard the ringing.

Alix's eyes immediately opened back up.

"Of course there's someone at the door." She said to herself, clearly annoyed.

Alix got out of bed and went to the front door.

Opening it, she was greeted to the sight of the redhead himself.

"Nathanael?" Alix said, in confusion.

Nathanael looked at her for a moment, with an apologetic look in his eyes.

Then, to Alix's shock, he embraced her.

Alix just stood there, both confused and somewhat calmed by the sudden gesture.

It only took a few more seconds before Alix returned the hug, a smile making it's way onto her face.


	14. Hesitant

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

A couple of days had passed since the whole Sandboy situation and needless to say, no one had been sleeping quite as easy just yet.

However, it seemed like after the whole incident, things went back to normal between Nathanael and Alix… for the most part at least.

While Nathanael's confidence had grown after standing up to the nightmare version of Alix, he was still concerned about confronting her on what had happened before.

He knew from her expressions that she was still hiding something, something that made her uncomfortable and somewhat distant.

 _"I hope Juleka and Rose can help." Nathanael thought._

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at Juleka's houseboat.**

The group of girls had gathered at Juleka's house to discuss some stuff.

Alix had assumed it would be about Marinette and Adrien again, after what happened with the whole ice skating plan.

Alix honestly had started to feel somewhat empathetic for Marinette, finally being able to understand what it was like to struggle with telling someone about how you really feel.

She wasn't quite as awkward, but the results were similar.

As they all sat down, Alix immediately noticed that everyone's line of sight was directed at her.

"What?" Alix asked.

"Well… it's just… we were all wondering… ." Rose tried to get the words out.

"What's going on between you and Nathanael?!" Alya finished her question for her.

Alix flinched at the sudden presence of the question, clearly not expecting the subject to even come up.

Alix took a second to regain her composure and answered them as truthfully as she could.

"Nothing." Alix said, with a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Exactly." Juleka said.

"Nathanael talked to us the other day, he asked if we could help him understand what's going on." Rose said.

"Nothing's going on." Alix said.

"Look, I know it might be a bit personal, but he's blaming himself for whatever is going on and he seems to think he's the cause of some problem." Juleka told her.

Alix sighed.

 _"He shouldn't do that, it's not his fault, he can't help how feels about her." Alix thought._

"He's wrong." Alix said.

Marinette looked at her, frowning as she did so.

"Alix… please." Marinette said.

Alix looked back at her, the level of emotion in her eyes giving her a sense of reassurance.

"You all have to promise me, that If I tell you what's going on, that it doesn't leave here." Alix said.

"I promise." They all said.

"Well… it's about him and Ladybug." Alix told them.

"Ladybug?" Alya and Mylene said, in surprise.

Marinette sighed, having already talked with Alix on the subject and knowing full well how she felt.

As for Juleka and Rose, they had a good idea of what the whole Ladybug issue was about, after having their talk with Nathanael.

"Yeah." Alix said.

From there, Alix told them about her growing feelings towards Nathanael, as well as her jealousy of how he viewed Ladybug.

"Have you talked to him about it yet?" Alya asked her.

"No, how would I even bring that up?" Alix questioned.

"I don't know, but it wouldn't exactly hurt to try." Alya said.

"Communication is important… I mean seriously, why can't people just have a conversation?" Marinette questioned.

The rest of the girls looked at her, with questioning gazes.

"What?" Marinette asked.

"Hypocrite." Alix said, through a fake cough.

"Hey, I get that it's ironic coming from me, but you all know I'm right." Marinette said, pointing at them.

They all nodded in agreement.

"Still, what would I even say?" Alix asked.

"The truth, and if he can't accept how you feel, then it's his loss." Mylene said.

Alix told them she would think about it and from there, they just hung out like they normally would.

Alix knew it was a risk and she would have to approach the whole thing delicately.

 _"Please let him understand." Alix mentally pleaded._

* * *

 **Later.**

Alix walked along the streets of Paris, stopping to look at the sights around her.

 _"It's funny, how pretty everything is when you're not in a rush." Alix thought._

Alix chuckled, realizing what opposites attract really meant.

She was more reckless and free spirited, while Nathanael took things slow and used the time to notice even the little details.

 _"Maybe he will understand." Alix thought._

However, it seemed even with her awareness, she still hadn't noticed the cart she had walked right into.

"Sorry about that." Alix apologized, as she stepped back.

"It's quite alright." The man said, cheerfully.

Alix immediately recognized that voice.

"Wait… Andre?" Alix said.

As Alix looked up, she saw the ice cream maker himself, smiling at the people passing by.

"Of course, though I haven't seen you before, but it's always nice to see a new customer." He exclaimed.

 _"I could go for some ice cream." Alix decided._

Andre looked at her, recognizing something familiar when it came to her emotions.

"I know just what you need." Andre told her.

"A scoop of boysenberry, a scoop of orange to match his hair and finally, a scoop of blue raspberry to match his eyes." Andre said, as he scooped them all into the cone.

"Here you are." He said, as he handed it to her.

"Thank you." Alix said.

As Alix walked off, she immediately knew what the ice cream represented.

 _"All signs are pointing to telling him." Alix thought._

 _"So why am I still just as nervous?" Alix wondered._


	15. The Way He Cares

_Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

It seemed that both Alix and Nathanael had received the same inspiration, after seeing Marinette finally build up enough courage to kiss Adrien… well, almost anyway.

After asking him to meet up at the Louvre, Alix paced around the empty section, nervous as can be.

As Nathanael walked in, he instantly began to feel dizzy from how nervous he was.

 _"It's just another talk, I can do this." They both thought, seemingly trying to convince themselves of their added confidence on the situation._

Nathanael walked into the room, Alix stopping to look at him as he entered.

"Hey." Alix said.

"Hey." He replied.

Nathanael awkwardly sat down, Alix doing the same a few seconds later.

"So… what's up?" Alix asked.

"Not much." Nathanael said.

Alix just nodded and twiddled her thumbs, hiding her eyes beneath her cap.

The two of them just sat there, minutes going by as neither one could figure out a way to start the conversation and bring the subjects up.

But, pressure usually had a way of getting to the artist and soon enough, he just went for it.

"Alright, what's the matter?" Nathanael asked.

"What?" Alix asked.

"Alix, I'm tired of dancing around the issues, both figuratively and that one time in our case, literally." Nathanael told her.

Alix tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't leave her thoughts.

Nathanael, seeing her try, put his arm around her.

"Whatever is going on, you can tell me, you know you can trust me, like I've trusted you." Nathanael said.

Alix sighed, still not looking at him.

"Please… just don't be mad." Alix said.

"Why would I be mad?" Nathanael questioned.

"Because, if I tell you, you may not like what you hear." Alix told him.

"Alix, you're my best friend, I can handle it and if it worries you that much, then I want to do whatever I can to help." Nathanael assured her.

Alix finally turned her gaze towards him, seeing a small smile appear on his face.

"Oh, forget it." Alix said.

As those words left Alix's mouth, she immediately leaned in and shut her eyes.

Nathanael just sat there, in shock from what was going on.

Alix was kissing him.

Alix wasn't sure what to expect before she had kissed him.

Some people had said that they felt sparks, others had told her it was unlike anything else in the world.

As for her, in the moment that she had kissed him, the feeling wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

It was still the same way she had felt before, the same way she always felt when she was with Nathanael, and that was exactly what she had wanted all along.

She knew right then that how she felt about him was genuine and true.

As Alix broke the kiss, she slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze, seeing the confusion and shock in his expression.

 _"What have I done?!" Alix thought._

"I'm sorry." Alix whimpered.

Alix immediately regretted her decision, quickly standing back up and running out.

"Wait!" Nathanael called for her.

Nathanael ran for the door, seeing the pink haired girl already out in the distance.

"Come back." Nathanael called out.

But, it was no use.

Alix had run away.

* * *

 **Later.**

Alix would keep on running, until exhaustion overtook her.

She managed to make her way back to the garden, stopping to catch her breath.

Alix took a seat under the shade of a tree, questioning the decision she had made as well as what was to happen, now that she had finally made a move.

The most difficult part of it all, was the unknown and for her, not knowing whether Nathanael would feel the same way or not, was the hardest part.

 _"The way he looked at me." Alix thought._

"Either you're getting slower, or I'm starting to get quicker." Nathanael said.

Alix looked up, surprised to see that the redhead had caught up with her.

The situation oddly seemed reversed to her, since Nathanael was usually the one who was speechless, while she made the quips.

Nathanael sat down next to her, not giving any indication that anything had happened at all.

Alix sighed, making another decision to bring it up.

"Listen, I'm… sorry about… you know." Alix apologized.

"No." Nathanael said.

Alix looked at him, curious about his statement.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Nathanael apologized.

"How could you have?" Alix questioned.

"Maybe if I wasn't so oblivious." Nathanael said.

"Still… it's not like I spoke up about it." Alix said.

The two of them sat there, wondering how this would end.

"So, is this what's been bothering you?" Nathanael asked her.

"Sort of." Alix said.

Nathanael placed his hand on hers.

"The offer to talk to me still stands." Nathanael said, reassuringly.

Alix blushed and looked at him again, no longer seeing the confusion and instead seeing a new look she had never seen before.

From there, Alix had told him about the whole situation, leading up to where she had kissed him.

"So, that's basically what's been going on this whole time." Alix said.

"Look, I'm sorry about this whole thing and I know you don't feel the same way." Alix said, her tone indicating her growing sadness.

"I know you like Ladybug more than anyone and it's okay." Alix said.

"Can we just… forget this ever happened?" Alix asked.

Nathanael didn't answer for a moment, remaining quiet as he let go of her hand.

But to her surprise, after letting go, he held her close.

"I admire Ladybug, but that doesn't mean I love her." He answered.

"I care about you." Nathanael said.

"I may not know how I feel or anything about relationships, but I do know that I don't want to forget what happened." Nathanael told her.

With that, Nathanael had returned her gesture and kissed her.


	16. Perfect

**Well, this is it, the last chapter of the story. I want to thank everyone for reading as well as the reviewers, you're all so amazing.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters._

* * *

A couple of days had passed by since the whole confession situation between Alix and Nathanael.

Alix had of course told her friends about what had happened and everyone seemed to be optimistic about the whole thing.

She hadn't seen the redhead since then, but as soon as she showed up to class, there he was, sketching away at his desk.

Alix just smiled and rolled her eyes.

 _"Of course." Alix thought._

As she took her seat, she awkwardly looked over at him, not sure on what to do next.

 _"Do I talk to him about it now?" Alix wondered._

As the day went on, things seemed to go as they usually went.

Alix would sneak glances over at Nathanael, every chance she got.

To her confusion, it seemed like nothing had changed at all.

 _"I guess he's still nervous." Alix figured._

 _"Still… I kind of wish he would say something." Alix thought._

After school had ended, Nathanael and Alix headed for the Louvre, Alix thinking that maybe now that they had some privacy, he would be a bit more affectionate.

As soon as they arrived, Nathanael pulled out his sketchbook and continued to work, as Alix skated around.

An hour passed by and he still hadn't said a word to her about anything.

 _"Alright, as usual, it looks like I have to be the one to make a move." Alix thought._

"Hey." Alix said.

Nathanael looked up at her, his focus immediately set on her and only her.

"What's going on?" Alix questioned.

"What do you mean?" Nathanael asked.

"Well, it's just that, after what happened the other day, I figured that you and I would… I don't know, do whatever couples do." Alix told him.

Nathanael looked at her, apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I just figured that you wouldn't want to be like that." Nathanael said.

"I mean, I remembered when that slow song came on at the club, you immediately wanted to do something else." Nathanael pointed out.

"I just thought that maybe you didn't want all that romantic stuff." Nathanael told her.

Alix thought about it for a moment, mentally laughing as she knew it was kind of true.

To her, the very thought of being that stereotypical, over the top couple was unbelievable.

But, at the same time, if it was with him, she didn't mind all that much.

"Well, I guess you're right, but… maybe we could still be… closer." Alix said, tripping over her words a little.

"Of course." Nathanael said, with a smile.

Alix smiled back and looked down as Nathanael set his drawing down, catching a glimpse of his sketch.

"Is that for the new issue?" Alix asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I've been a little distant all day, it's just that I wanted to make this one perfect." Nathanael told her.

"Why is that?" Alix asked.

Nathanael picked up the sketch, looking at it for a moment and then looked at Alix, with a smirk.

"I wanted to keep it a surprise for when we published it, but I guess I can show you now." Nathanael told her.

With that said, Nathanael handed her the sketch and awaited her reaction.

As Alix looked at the sketch, her eyes widened at the first glance as to what was on the paper.

They were panels of her, or to be more accurate, Timebreaker.

But the last panel of the page was the one that really caught her attention.

It was Timebreaker sharing a kiss with Nathanael's own superhero alter ego.

"Like I said, I wanted to make it perfect." Nathanael said, with a smile.

Alix couldn't hold back any longer and wrapped her arms around him, in a loving embrace.

Nathanael happily returned the gesture and looked at her with a slightly nervous look in his eyes.

"You know what they say, life does imitate art." Nathanael said.

Alix looked at him, curious as to what he was talking about.

"Plus, you did say you wanted to be closer." Nathanael added.

Nathanael leaned in and kissed her, Alix now understanding completely what he had meant.

 _"So much for the shy one." Alix thought._

Alix tried to hold back her smile as she returned the kiss, hoping that it wouldn't end any time soon.


End file.
